10:14pm Thursday 24th July 2008
By Paul Fraser
Middlesbrough 0 Vitoria Guimaraes 1
GARETH SOUTHGATE last night warned clubs casting an admiring eye over Middlesbrough's young winger Adam Johnson to forget about signing him on a permanent basis.
And the Boro boss, after witnessing Johnson light up a pretty dour final friendly in the Estadio Algarve against Vitoria Guimaraes, also insisted that the player might not even go out on loan next month.
Scottish champions Rangers want to take the 21-year-old on a season-long deal and reports north of the border yesterday claimed that Southgate was ready to consider a proposal.
However, reflecting on the quotes attributed to him, Southgate claims that Johnson is by no means certain to be going out on loan.
And, even if the decision was taken to allow him to go out temporarily, Southgate would recommend to Johnson that he did not go to the Scottish Premier League.
"I don't see Adam going to Rangers," said Southgate. "I don't think Scotland would be a good move for him because he can only go window to window there [with loans]. Until we get closer to deciding what team we are going to play he is very much part of this club.
"Lots of Championship teams are asking about him, but he's our player and I want him here. He's got at least two years left and he is a fantastic young talent. There are a lot of interested glances, but we will decide what's best for him and Middlesbrough.
"If it's the right thing for his career development in six weeks' time then it's something we will think about. But we will do what's best for us all.
"We have not had anyone ask about selling him, but we wouldn't welcome one. He is a player who is going to get better as he gets older."
In the absence of Stewart Downing, who missed both games in the Algarve with a thigh strain, Johnson started in the wing role which he would love to hold down week in and week out at the Riverside.
Downing was a notable absentee, along with Gary O'Neil and Emanuel Pogatetz who had slight injuries, in the 1-0 defeat to Guimaraes and it was Johnson's tricks that stole the show.
The non-appearance of Downing over the last few days in the Algarve has prevented Middlesbrough from handing him some extra fitness work, but there could have been another set-back early on last night.
Inside the opening minute, with possession down Guimaraes' left, Brazilian striker Douglas appeared to knock Andrew Taylor to the floor in an off-the-ball incident.
It clearly riled the Hartlepool-born full-back and he had to be held back from confronting the South American by young forward Graeme Owens.
There were also incidents when Johnson and Julio Arca were left on the floor from late fouls by Sereno and Flavio respectively but, despite the Boro bench's frustrations, no cards were issued.
Football-wise there was little by way of excitement, although Ross Turnbull was fortunate to have a second chance to deny Fajardo from close range, after initially spilling his initial shot.
Middlesbrough's best chance of the opening half-an-hour arrived after Johnson, occasionally lighting up a pretty drab affair, earned a free-kick with his wing wizardy. Afonso Alves, however, failed to find the target from 20 yards.
It was an awful opening to a friendly played at an incredibly slow pace and Southgate will have hoped that a complete change to personnel in his team would quicken things up.
Only Johnson and Turnbull were retained after the restart, with teenagers Joe Bennett and Jonathan Franks – who flew out on Wednesday in light of the absence of Cattermole and Downing – given roles.
After Guimaraes substitute Joao Alves went close with a near post header, Robert Huth was denied a headed goal of his own when his looping effort dropped on the line and was caught by Serginho.
With nine minutes remaining, and the match progressing towards a goalless draw, Carlitos brought a stunning finger-tip save from Turnbull. He also had to deny the same player in stoppage time.
But he was powerless to prevent Dinis from curling the sweetest of free-kicks inside his far post with the last kick of the game, after Anthony McMahon had committed a foul.
Meanwhile, Brazilian striker Afonso Alves has won the arbitration case filed by Dutch club AZ Alkmaar after he signed for Middlesbrough earlier this year.
AZ demanded 7.5m euros (£5.9m) from the 27-year-old, claiming he had already signed a contract with them when he agreed to join Boro from Heerenveen in January.
The arbitration committee of the Dutch FA ruled there had been no breach of contract as the deal with AZ had not been signed by Alves' agent, Wagner Ribeiro, leaving it incomplete.
MIDDLESBROUGH: Turnbull; Young (McMahon 46), Wheater (Huth 46), Williams (Grounds 46), Taylor (Bennett 46); Digard (Shawky 46), Arca (J Johnson 46), Walker (Emnes 46); Owens (Aliadiere 46), A Johnson (Tuncay 71); Alves (Franks 46). Subs (all used).
GUIMARAES: Serginho; Andrezinho (Diogo 68), Sereno (Moreno 46), Danilo (Gregory 46), Luciano; Joao Alves (Wenio 56), Flavio (Dinis 84), Desmarets (Carlitos 46); Fajardo (Roberto 72), Douglas (Jean Coral 46), Marquinho (Paulo 68). Subs (not used): Nilson, Rafael, Lionn, Lucas, Nuno Santos, Tiago, Momha.
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